298 AGRICULTURAL APPROPRIATION BILL, 1924. 



They are entirely difiVrent from any insects we have on either of these 

 plants at the present time. It is apparently the same as the tomato 

 and potato weevil provint; so destnictive in Australia, and this is the 

 only place it has been reported in the Tnited States. 



Mr. Buchanan. Is it a worm '. 



Mr. Graf. No; it is a beetle. But the grub also feeds at night, 

 like the beetle, and hides in the daytime. 



Mr. Bit'HANAN". It is like the old bean worm? 



Mr. Graf. No. Eradication was first considered but this was 

 dropped on account of the difficulty in finding the insects. This 

 small appropriation is just to start the cooperative work with the 

 State of Mississippi to try to learn something AV)out the insect so 

 remedies may be developed. 



Mr. Buchanan. The probabilities are that that insect will not 

 thrive in the cold potato climate in the United States, if it comes 

 from Australia. 



Mr. Graf. It is difficult to foretell how injurious an insect may 

 become. 



Doctor Howard. He does not come from Australia. Mi-. Buchanan: 

 it is a curious thing that they were imported into Australia from 

 South America. The in.sect is a native of the slopes of the iVndes in 

 Peru and Chile, and probably was a direct importation from South 

 America, |)robably in ship supplies in some ship landing at a Gulf 

 port. 



Mr. Andkrson. Do they raise many Irish potatoes down there t 



Mr. (jRaf. No. sir. It has just appeared on some of the smaller 

 plantings and is not yet in any important potato prt)ducing district. 



Mr. Anderson. Do they raise tomatoes ? 



Mr. Graf. Not in large quantities, but large plantings exist at 

 Crystal Springs within easy reach. 



Mr. Andkrson. Do you know in how large an area it infests { 



Mr. Graf. We do not know much about that. It was found in 

 about 5 or (i towns. I would say offhand that about 100 stjuare 

 miles are infested. The difficulty of inspecting makes it impossible 

 to furnish an exact statement of its occurrence. 



Mr. Anderson. Does it spread rapidly? 



Mr. CiRAF. We do not know anything about it. 



Doctor Howard. There are otlier portions of that S 18,000 not yet 

 explained. The S3, 000 to be spent in textile libers, and 83,000" on 

 low temperature studies as to the life of moths in furs and the life 

 in cold storage. If you wish any further information, Mi". Beck will 

 tell yon about it. 



TEXTILE FABRIC STUDIES. 



Doctor Beck. Textile fabrics relates to the work of the injuries by 

 moths to manufacturers of upholstery and other fabric manufacturei-s. 

 such as (hose who put (»ut these mohairs, and besides, the silk mills 

 throughout the country and woolen inamifacturevs. and all those who 

 store raw wool. 



During the past two or three years we found that there had been a 

 considerable antonnt of damage to raw wool in stiu'age by these 

 moths. But the demand f(»r information from the fabric, concerns 

 has increase*! considerably this last year on account of the develop- 

 ment (»f chemicals fdp inotli proofing fabrics, the attempt being to 



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